Man learns his fate after stabbing and burying his wife alive – leading to his miraculous escape

Chae Kyong An, 54, pleaded guilty in March to trying to kill his estranged wife in October 2022, according to authorities.

• Chae Kyong An pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder in March for the October 2022 attack, according to authorities.

• His ex-wife escaped after being trapped in a makeshift grave for 12 hours, she said in a statement.

• The woman told the hearing she still lives with the trauma of the attack.

A Washington state man who buried his ex-wife alive before she miraculously escaped will spend more than 13 years in prison for the 2022 crime, a judge ruled.

Chae Kyong An, 54, was sentenced Monday to 165 months in prison and three years of community detention, in Thurston County, Washington, authorities told FOX 13 Seattle.

The sentencing comes a month after he pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder, KING 5 and The Olympian reported.

In October 2022, An's ex-wife was allegedly brutally beaten, stabbed and tied with duct tape before An buried her alive in a wooded area. The Olympian » reported, citing unspecified court documents. At one point during the attack, she called 911 through her Apple Watch, the outlet reported.

After burying her, the woman was stuck in the makeshift grave for 12 hours, she said in a court statement Monday.

After managing to free herself from the restraints, she ran through the woods to a home in Olympia shortly after midnight and began “knocking on their door asking for help,” Lacey police told the time.

She told residents that An tried to kill her after kidnapping her from her home and taking her to the woods, authorities said. At Monday's sentencing hearing, the woman recounted more details about the heartbreaking incident.

At the time of the attack, she begged An to let her go and think about their children, which he allegedly ignored, she said in her statement, according to KING 5.

“I do not need anything. Today I’m going to kill,” she said.

Related: Washington Woman Escapes from Shallow Grave After Being Buried Alive by Husband

An was initially charged with attempted murder, domestic violence, kidnapping, assault and stalking, according to The Olympian and FOX 13 Seattle.

In a statement during his plea deal, An said on Oct. 16, 2022, that he “took substantial action” to intentionally harm his wife and, after kidnapping her and taking her to the woods, he “killed” her. placed tied in a hole and covered.” she with branches, ” The Olympian reported.

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At Monday's hearing, An said he regretted the attack.

“I wish I could go back and never walk into that house that day and walk away,” An said, according to KING 5.

The victim says his life has been forever changed following the attack.

“After that day, my life and the lives of my children were shattered,” she said in her statement, according to KING 5. “I have to live my life with emotional trauma and health issues for the rest of my life.”

If you are a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or go to thehotline.org. All calls are free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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